Name:
Fruitafossor (Greek for "digger from Fruita"); pronounced FRUIT-ah-foss-or
Habitat:
Woodlands of North America
Historical Period:
Late Jurassic (150 million years ago)
Size and Weight:
About 6 inches long and a few ounces
Diet:
Insects
Distinguishing Characteristics:
Pointed snout; long front claws
About Fruitafossor:
Thanks to the discovery of a near-complete fossil from the Fruita region of Colorado, we know more about Fruitafossor than about most early mammals. Based on its teeth, its pointed snout, and its long front claws, it's clear that Fruitafossor made its living by digging for insects, most likely termites (since ants had yet to evolve in the late Jurassic), and it may also have burrowed below ground to escape predatory dinosaurs. To date, this is the earliest digging mammal yet known, appearing in the fossil record a whopping 100 million years before similar creatures.
